JIGGS MCGEE'S 1930 PREDICTIONS
The 1930 season is underway and here are my fearless predictions. Please remember that the odds are old Jiggs will be way off base again this year. Last season I had Philadelphia reaching the World Championship Series - just too bad I typed Keystones instead of Sailors. My two second place predicted clubs ended up winning their respective leagues so I made out okay in that regard but I crashed and burned on number one with the Keystones coming in third, 10 games back of Detroit, in the Federal Association and I must have been sniffing pine needles or something when I picked the Foresters to win the Continental over the Sailors. Cleveland crashed and burned, just like my predictions and finished with just 64 wins a year ago.
So you have had fair warning. Do not take this predictions to your local bookie.
CONTINENTAL ASSOCIATION
1- PHILADELPHIA SAILORS: I knew the Sailors would be good last year, I just thought Cleveland had the makings of a break out team. I won't make the same mistake this time around even though I do like what I am seeing in Baltimore. The Cannons are firing but the first place boat has sailed out of range and it will be manned by the Sailors. Their combination of the best pitching staff in the league and an offense led by Tom Taylor and Jack Cleaves is too much for the rest of the Continental.
2- BALTIMORE CANNONS : Baltimore is good. I like their pitching with Rabbit Day and Dutch Leverett and I think they could be even better if Lee Drouillard moves from the pen to the rotation. Joe Welch and Lou Kelly is all you need to say about the offense. The pair combined for 70 homers and 240 rbi's last season.
3- NEW YORK STARS: The Stars are kind of trapped on their own. Not good enough to keep up with Philadelphia and Baltimore but certainly better then the rest of the CA.
4- BROOKLYN KINGS: Led by Tommy Wilcox the young Kings are coming, but they are still a year away as a lack of quality pitching will keep them out of contention. There are young pitchers on the way so 1931 will be a different story but if Philadelphia and Baltimore both win 100 games the league may only see 3 teams over .500 this season.
5- CLEVELAND FORESTERS : The pitching is awful. However, the Foresters have some great hitters led by outfielders Moxie Pidgeon and Joe Perret which will be enough to hold off Montreal and Chicago to top the second division.
6- MONTREAL SAINTS : Like Montreal and Chicago, the Saints have talent coming but I think the loss of Al Allen Jr (traded so they could draft Vic Crawford) will hurt them this year. It will definitely help in the long run as Crawford looks like a future superstar in the outfield but the pitching is too thin behind Charlie Stedman to make up for the lack of hitting this year.
7- CHICAGO COUGARS: Another team on the rise and I could have put Chicago, Cleveland and Montreal in a hat and drew numbers to see who I think should finish 5th,6th or 7th (but I only do that to select first place - or so it must seem). It is worth watching the Cougars not only because of their wealth of young talent but also to see the ageless wonder - John Dibblee - still going strong at age 41. Could 4000 hits be a possibility. You wouldn't have thought so but Dibblee had 167 a year ago while hitting .346, and now has 3747 for his career.
8- TORONTO WOLVES: All I can say for Toronto is sorry it is an even year. The Wolves can't even win in the draft as the Federal Association gets first overall pick this season. At least there is hope for the future with new ownership.
FEDERAL ASSOCIATION
1- PHILADELPHIA KEYSTONES : Old Jiggs has picked the Keystones three straight years and I will keep picking them until they win. In all seriousness, the certainly have the team capable of doing it - at least on offense with star first baseman Rankin Kellogg leading the way.
2- ST LOUIS PIONEERS: Maybe it is more for sentimental reasons but I want to see Max Morris in another Series. The greatest slugger who ever lived hit 50 homers last year but he is now 35 years old and time may start to erode him of his incredible skillset. I am thinking this might be the year Morris nearly single-handedly carries the Pioneers to a pennant but falls just short.
3- DETROIT DYNAMOS: March 26th. That was the day Frank Vance broke a bone in his elbow and also ended the thoughts of the Dynamos repeating as champion. There is still plenty of talent in the Motor City but a title defense has not happened in the Fed since 1922-23. I was thinking that trend might end this season, until Vance's season ended before it began.
4- NEW YORK GOTHAMS: They have struggled since a breakout 1926 season when they won 96 games and their first pennant since 1896. Bleak times returned the last 3 seasons despite so talent on the roster. New York will be better than the last place club they were a year ago.
5- CHICAGO CHIEFS: Two years removed from a pennant the Chiefs had a strong season a year ago but fell just short of Detroit. Maybe Joe Masters has another year like he did two seasons ago when he hit 56 homers and won the league MVP but I wouldn't count on it. Or perhaps someone else might emerge to join Masters and Jim Hampton as the offensive catalyst's for the Chiefs but even if they do I would find it hard to see Chicago winning with the pitching they have.
6- PITTSBURGH MINERS: A year ago I thought the Miners could contend with their pitching staff but then injuries struck and the team struggled before settling for a 5th place finish. Jim Pool and Frank Lightbody are emerging stars and there pitching staff is among the better ones in the Fed. I do often wonder what impact (positive or negative) playing in the only pitcher friendly park in the FA has on the Miners. I like this team and they may sneak into the first division but won't contend.
7- BOSTON MINUTEMEN: The Minutemen had me wondering what I missed a year ago when I pegged them for 7th place and they got off to one of the best starts in Figment history. However, after their few minutes of fame the club crashed and burned to finish the season in 6th place. Like Pittsburgh, they may battle the Chiefs and Gothams for fourth but I expect they will settle in somewhere near the bottom of the league.
8- WASHINGTON EAGLES: I picked the Eagles for last place a year ago and they surprised me with a .500 season. So I don't want to jinx them. I will pick them for last once again meaning TR Goins and company might just have another break even season. I am leaning towards that not happening and they Eagles land in the basement.